Crawl space is too expensive to heat
Q. I bought a 1950s cottage in Westport that I am happy with. I keep it at 60 degrees when I am away. But it has a well pump in the crawl space, which has frozen and cracked each winter for three years. The pump, which is the size of a basketball, costs $200 to replace, and I am getting tired of that unnecessary expenditure each year. How can I keep it from freezing ? Can I add heat to the crawl space?
M.A.T., Boston
A. Don't add heat to the crawl space; it is simply too expensive and it would require a fair amount of heat to do the right thing. You could build an insulated box to put around the pump, but that I think is iffy. Your best bet would be to relocate the pump to an upstairs closet, and insulate all pipes in the crawl space with compressed fiberglass insulation, sold in plumbing supply shops.
Q. I have a small radiator indented in my bathroom wall. I see some aluminum foil or sheet aluminum behind it, but there is a 1 3/4 -inch gap at the top of the radiator where there is no aluminum. Can I cover that gap, and with what? Can I put Styrofoam insulation there? And can I cover the top of the opening with a similar material?
John Fay, Medford
A. Do not use Styrofoam. It requires covering with a fire-resistant material, which would take up too much room. Use a heavy-duty cardboard with aluminum foil on one or both sides. If you can't find such a material, buy 1/4-inch plywood or hardboard and glue foil on it. And you can put this material on the top of the opening, as well as the sides of the opening. It will help reflect the heat into the room.
Q. I have a fiberglass shower stall installed in a tiled stall. The bottom of the aluminum door to this stall has turned black. I have tried Soft Scrub With Bleach without success. What can I use to clean off that black?
Wellesley
A. I think the black stains are mineral stains. Try Brillo or SOS soap pads. If that doesn't work, try Zud, which attacks the minerals in the stain.
Q. I have wood gutters, which I am happy with, but need more. Is it true that they should be oiled twice a year to preserve them?
Doreen Stevens, Arlington
A. Yes, it is true, and with luck, regularly oiled gutters will outlive you, me, and everyone else. The easiest and best way to oil gutters is to mix boiled linseed oil with equal parts paint thinner, and paint this mess onto the untreated inside of the gutter. Raw linseed oil will work even better, but must be mixed with paint thinner to ease its application. Twice a year.
Some people advocate coating the gutters inside with a waterproofing such as roofing cement. This I don't think is good because it is likely to trap moisture in the wood (coming in from outside), causing premature decay.
Q. I have paving stones in my patio/pool area and notice some small 1/8-to 1/4-inch gaps in spots that tend to create algae or small weeds periodically. My nephew in Buffalo used some polymeric sand to correct a similar problem but I cannot seem to find it in Tampa. At the large stores (
A. I don't know where to find polymeric sand (I assume it hardens more than regular sand) but you could use stone dust that will harden more than sand. To control the algae and the occasional weed, wet the joints with vinegar. Vinegar is a form of acid rain, and if you keep it on the patio/pool area, it will not hurt any plants. Don't get it in the pool!
Q. The previous owner of my house left two satellite dishes on the roof. I want to take them down but I need a plan to fill the holes left in the roof. How would you handle this one?
Sammywhite, in Hotton's chat room
A. If the holes are less than three or four inches in diameter, you can take out any asphalt shingles that have holes in them. You can replace all those shingles you removed. Buy new shingles of the same color as the ones on the roof , and insert them in place, nailing just below the next highest shingle. Give each exposed nail head a generous dab of roofing cement. Use galvanized roofing nails. For bigger holes, do the same except fill in the larger holes with a board; glue it in place if necessary.
Q. What would cause a running water noise in a house every 20 minutes, all day, that lasts for three to five seconds?
Maryz, in Hotton's chat room
A. If you have a forced hot water heating system and a boiler, then that intermittent flowing water might be the boiler system refilling itself. Most such systems have a valve that automatically opens to add water that has evaporated from the system. Or, it could be a water pump running to keep water circulating in the system. These occurrences are normal. If in doubt, ask your boiler man. Or, it could be the toilet leaking a bit. Sometimes the ball or flapper that closes off the outlet in the toilet tank does not seat properly, causing slight leakage. To correct this, you can adjust the ball or flapper so that it seats properly.
Q. Our house has the original "dogs" that shutters are hung on. However, the shutters are gone and now there are vinyl ones screwed to the siding. Where would one get real shutters, either old or replicas? I think they look so nice.
Aja1, in Hotton's chat room
A. Try the Brosco (Brockway-Smith) catalog. Go to an independent lumber store and ask for the Brosco catalog. You make a choice and the store will order them for you . There are two pages of unprimed and primed wood stationary slat shutters as well as hardware. They are called blinds. The catalog also carries New York-style raised panel blinds.
Q. How do you feel about asbestos -- leave it alone or get rid of it? Our basement has vinyl asbestos floor tile and pipe insulation with asbestos. Both are in good condition.
JT, in Hotton's chat room
A. How do I feel? I think the asbestos question is somewhat blown out of proportion, but I recognize the need to be careful concerning asbestos, because I think no one is sure as to what kind of exposure and how much will cause problems, or how long that exposure has to be to cause problems. So the government and other rule makers must err on the side of caution when dealing with asbestos.
As for the floor tile, such tile is safe if left intact and untouched; that is, not to be drilled, sawn, cut, sanded, or abused in any way. It can be covered with almost anything. The pipe insulation, if intact, can be left alone or encapsulated by professionals. If it is deteriorating and hanging down in shards, it is a hazard and must be removed. And of course, improper removal can cause further scattering of the fibers that can be a bigger hazard.
Handyman on Call also appears in the Globe's Style & Arts section on Thursdays. Peter Hotton is available 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions on house repair; call 617-929-2930. Hotton chats online about house matters 2 to 3 p.m. Thursdays at boston.com. He can be reached at photton@globe.com. 